5 Superstars who should have been a part of the men's Royal Rumble match

While the 2019 Royal Rumble did have some good surprises with entrants like Pete Dunne, Aleister Black and Johnny Gargano, there were also some notable omissions from the match.

Several superstars were left out of the Royal Rumble match. With a roster so full of talent from top to bottom, it is an unfortunate side effect of the match and business each year.

The Usos weren't even featured on the near 7-hour card, but could have easily had spots in the Royal Rumble match. Instead, superstars that are rarely on television like Shelton Benjamin, Titus O'Neil and No Way Jose were in the match.

O'Neil and No Way Jose lasted a combined seven seconds, and although they offered a bit of comedy, it seemed like two wastes of spots.

Even wrestlers who had matches earlier on the card, and on the pre-show, could have had spots in the men's Rumble match. Here are five male superstars who should have been in the men's Royal Rumble.

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#1 Rusev

Despite the tag team ending, Rusev Day is still over with the fans.

If anyone had an awful day at the Royal Rumble this past Sunday, it had to be Rusev. Not only did he lose the United States Championship he won a month prior, but his wife Lana also 'got injured' during the match.

His loss was directly linked to Lana's interference as Shinsuke Nakamura finished off the Bulgarian Brute shortly after Lana was knocked off the ring curtain.

Since Nakamura regained the United States Championship (and then lost it to R-Truth on SmackDown), why did he, and not Rusev, get a spot in the Royal Rumble match?

Is it perhaps the WWE's way of trying to get Nakamura to re-sign with them since his contract is up soon? If so, it came at the expense of Rusev and it will probably lead him wanting to leave the company again.

Nakamura's entrance in the match would have made more sense had he failed to regain his title, but instead, he won back his belt and was a part of the Royal Rumble.

While Rusev was left out, his involvement would have been another high point for the crowd. He's still massively over and would have been cheered the longer he was in the match. Once again, another missed opportunity for Rusev.

#2 EC3

Surely EC3 is destined for more than posing in front of a mirror backstage?

Of all the rumored call-ups revealed by WWE a month ago, EC3's call-up has been the most disappointing due to the lack of exposure he's received.

He has the most potential of all of the call-ups but has been relegated to brief appearances backstage. In one, he simply stood outside of Mr. McMahon's office and in the other, he was simply posing in front of a mirror for like five seconds.

Since everyone else has at least had mic time or a match, what's the deal with the lack of time for EC3 on both Raw and SmackDown?

It was cool to see Aleister Black and Johnny Gargano in the match, but they had showcase matches the night before at NXT Takeover: Phoenix. And since Gargano is now a champion, surely his spot could have gone elsewhere?

EC3 needed a meaningful debut on the main roster and so far, WWE has wasted him. Lacey Evans and Nikki Cross were both in the women's Rumble match. Maybe there is some master plan with EC3 or maybe there is not. He is probably more well known by casual wrestling fans due to his time in Impact.

But whatever the case may be, it just seems weird to have so much screen time for the other call-ups and five seconds for EC3.

#3 Bray Wyatt

The Eater of Worlds has been absent for TV for quite some time.

Where has Bray Wyatt been over the last five months? All we've received from him are cryptic tweets almost on a monthly basis.

While it's not his fault, WWE has done a good job of making fans forget about the Eater of Worlds. He's talked up so many feuds in his career only to be booked to lose them.

His credibility is shot, but fans still cheer for the guy and love his character. Is there just nothing for him? Instead, we are treated to Bobby Lashley bending over in front of the crowd for months.

I understand that Lashley is pushed because of his look and Vince McMahon's love for the muscle-bound wrestlers.

But Bray Wyatt is a WWE creation from the bottom and is a successful one at that. He was held in such regard that he has feuded with The Undertaker, John Cena and Roman Reigns.

While he did get booked to lose all of those feuds, he could have won a few here and there. The Royal Rumble would have been a perfect place for him to come back, and the crowd would have gone nuts if the lights went out.

If his absence was due to injury, that would be one thing, but he isn't believed to be hurt. So creative hasn't had anything for him since Matt Hardy got injured and they lost the Raw Tag Titles back in the Summer?

#4 Cesaro

Even though he lost the SmackDown Tag Team titles earlier in the night, he could have entered the Rumble match

Cesaro, like the others on this list before him, has often been overlooked as a singles' star. His feats of strength and general in-ring mastery made him a favorite of the fans.

But in order to quell the fans admiration for him, WWE put him in a tag team with Sheamus. While the tag team has had success, it was mainly a vehicle to prolong the in-ring career of Sheamus.

Didn't he get diagnosed with spinal stenosis early last year? It must not be too serious if he's been wrestling at such a high level over the last two years. Apparently, it will affect him more later in life than it would currently.

Hardcore fans will always root for Cesaro regardless of if he is a heel or a face. Since his team lost the tag titles, he could have easily entered the Rumble match in the late teens or early 20s and had an impact on the match.

Instead, he was relegated to losing the titles to the boss' son. I get that it was to fill out the Miz-Shane McMahon storyline regarding father issues, it's just disheartening to see someone so talented get lost in the shuffle.

#5 Tye Dillinger

Dillinger entered last year's match at #10 but has been out of action recently due to a hand injury.

Was Tye Dillinger not medically cleared for the event? Or did WWE placate the audience by having Seth Rollins enter the match in the 10th spot? They weren't going to boo Rollins for taking the number Dillinger is famous for.

Whatever was or was not behind it, Dillinger's entrance at #10 would have provided the fans with another surprise since he has been off television for months.

Dillinger has been off SmackDown due to a hand injury related to when Randy Orton decided to attack Dillinger because he thought 'his gimmick was stupid'.

If WWE states that it 'listens to the fans' and that 'they are the new Authority', then Dillinger's omission from the match - if he wasn't hurt - is the exact inverse of the promises above.

It is hard to get everyone on the roster into the match, and he hasn't had a storyline for a while. The Royal Rumble usually brings back a few people from injury and Dillinger would have been a perfect choice.

Perhaps he isn't in the good graces of the people in charge because they think he wants to go to All Elite Wrestling. Would you blame a guy who had been in WWE developmental for almost eight years?

It just seems like no matter how over you might get with the fans, it doesn't matter because if they don't want to push you, you won't get pushed.